From: Zero Powers (zero_powers@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Jan 29 2001 - 18:33:29 MST
>From: "Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" <sentience@pobox.com>
>Charlie Stross wrote:
> >
> > In a spirit of non-confrontational rationalism, I'd like to see if we
> > can compose a list of ideas that we *ALL* agree on.
> >
> > If you disagree with any of these memes, could you wave a hand and
> > explain why?
> >
> > 1. Forcing our fellow human beings to live their lives as we see fit
> > is unethical. (Persuading them of the error of their ways so that
> > they _choose_ to live their lives by our lights is another matter.)
>
>Minor objection: Persuading someone of truthful statements, using a
>persuasive algorithm that is powerful enough to convince that person of
>arbitrary (true or false) propositions, is probably unethical without
>consent.
I *think* my comment is similar to Eli's. However, being a wordsmith and
not a computer scientist or mathmetician, I'd put it this way: There's a
thin line between force and persuasion.
-Zero
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